CHAPTER XIV

The Hockey Season

When the hockey season commenced, Winona got to business.  She was wildly anxious to prove an effective Games Captain, and win credit for the school.  It would be no easy matter to follow so excellent a predecessor as Kirsty Paterson, but she determined to keep Kirsty’s ideals well in mind, and try to live up to them.  One change, which Kirsty had suggested, Winona at once carried out.  The hockey badge was altered.  The new one had the initials S.H.S. embroidered in the school colors on plain dark blue shields, and looked very imposing on the tunics.  There was another point upon which Winona was resolved to effect a reform.  The field was not in a thoroughly satisfactory condition, and certainly needed attention.  The prefects had put the matter before Miss Bishop, who referred it to the Governors.  Those august personages, mindful of war economies, decided that for the present it would do well enough, and would not vote the spending of any money upon its improvement.  The bad news was received with indignation throughout the school.

“It’s too stingy for anything!  How can we possibly have decent practice on such a rough old place?  I’d like to make them come and try it for themselves, the mean wretches!” protested Bessie Kirk.

Winona laughed.  A vision of the Governors wildly brandishing hockey sticks flashed across her imagination.  She seized her note-book and drew a fancy portrait of the delicious scene:  old Councillor Thomson, very wheezy and fat, running furiously; bald-headed Mr. Crabbe performing wonderful acrobatic feats; a worthy J.P. engaged in a tussle with the Town Clerk; and various other of the City Fathers in interesting and exciting attitudes.  The masterpiece was passed round for general admiration.  The girls sniggered.

“Wish we could show it to them!” said Margaret Kemp.  “Perhaps it might make them realize their responsibilities.  It’s too sickening of them to grudge keeping the field in order!”

“Look here, it’s no use complaining!” said Winona.  “Of course it relieves one’s feelings, but it doesn’t make any difference to the field.  I’ve got a plan to propose.  Let us ask Miss Bishop how much it would cost to hire somebody to do the rolling, and offer to pay for it ourselves.  We could get up a Hockey Concert in aid of it.”

“What a frolicsome notion!  I’m your man!”

“Wouldn’t it be setting a bad precedent?” objected Marjorie Kemp.  “Suppose the Governors stop having the tennis courts cut, and say we may do it ourselves?”

“We’d put that to Miss Bishop first, and make it well understood.”

“It would just make all the difference to the practices to have a roller at work, even once a week,” urged Olave Parry.  “Do ask about it, Win!”

Miss Bishop, on being appealed to, considered the suggestion favorably.

“Certainly there’s no reason why you shouldn’t improve the field, if you wish,” she replied, adding with a smile:  “I’ll take care that the tennis courts don’t suffer in consequence.  It was a prudent thought to mention them.  I expect when the war is over, the Governors may be persuaded to take the full expense of the playing field too.  I’ll get an estimate at once of what the rolling would cost.”